Folding partition for luggage



June 17, 1941. PLQTKIN 2,245,999

FOLDING PARTITION FOR LUGGAGE Filed June 10, 1940 2 Sheets-SheetINVENTOR.

JOGEU/WHPZOZ/CJIW, a Q ZQWM ATTORNEYS.

June 17, 1941; J, H, PLQTKIN- FOLDING PARTITION FOR A Filed June 10,1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 1941 FOLDING PARTITION FORLUGGAGE Joseph H. Plotkin, Chicago, 111., assignor to S.

Dresner & Sons, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of IllinoisApplication June 10, 1940, Serial No. 339,756

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a form of construction for use in luggage cases,such as Gladstone bags, wardrobe cases and the like, in which it isdesirable to provide compartments for convenient separation of variousarticles or effects packed in the case.

An object of my invention is to provide a construction whereby a sectionof the luggage case may be divided by partitions into separatecompartments.

A further object of my invention is to arrange the partitions in such amanner that they may be folded out of the way when not desired, 50 thatthe entire case section may be made available, uninterrupted by thepartitions, for packing large flat articles.

Another object of my invention is to arrange a plurality of foldingpartition members in such relation that they are mutually selfsupporting when in upright position.

Still another object is to provide compartments formed by foldablepartition members, in conjunction with-a dust curtain panel which closesall the compartments and retains articles and efiects therein.

Another object is to provide a dust curtain, for closure of thecompartments as above described, which can be readily fastened by meansof the well-known slide fastener, and which will present a smooth, neatsurface, and will prevent access of dust or dirt into the partitionedcompartments.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement and combination of the various elements of my constructionwhereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fullyset forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a luggage case in open position,showing the construction which I have invented;

Figure 2 is a plan View of a portion of one of the case sections,showing the partitions in upright position;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of one of the case sections,similar to Figure 2, but showing the partitions in fiat position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of the intersection of twopartition members;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a luggage case, showing my dustcurtain construction, with the curtain in open position; and

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5, but showing the curtain inclosed position.

On the drawings I have used the reference numeral ID to indicategenerally a luggage case, which in a common form consists of twocomplementary or matching sections l2 and i4 connected by a hinge at 16.Speaking of the parts in the position they assume when the case I0 isclosed and in its upright position, the section [4 consists of a sidewall I8, end walls 20, a bottom wall 22 and a top wall 24.

I provide a partition 26 consisting of a stifi wall portion 28 and abase portion 30, the portions 28 and 30 being connected by a flexible orhinged joint 32. As one specific form of construction which may be used,I have shown a core panel 34, which may be cardboard, fiber board,plywood, or any suitably stiff material. The core panel is enclosed in acover 36 of any suitably thin, strong and flexible material, which isextended beyond the core panel to form the base portion 30 and theflexible joint 32. My invention is not limited, however, to anyparticular form of construction of the partition, or of the joint.

The base portion 30 is connected to the wall l8 by any suitable means,as by stitching, riveting, or by an adhesive. The hinged joint 32,therefore, permits the wall portion 28 to stand in upright position, asin Figures 1, 2 and 4, or to be folded flat against the wall I8 of thecase section M, as in Figure 3.

A second partition 38 is also provided, and consists of a wall portion28, base portion 30 and hinged joint 32, as in the partition 26previously described. The partitions 26 and 3B are preferably mounted onthe wall I8 at considerable angles to each other, and in the drawings Ihave shown them arranged in perpendicular relation to each other.

A flap 4B is connected by a hinged joint 42 to the end of the partition38 adjacent the partition 26. The flap 48 is provided wit-h snapfastener elements 44, which may be of the well-known ball and sockettype, the complementary portions 4'5 being mounted on the partition 25.

It will be apparent that when the partitions are raised to uprightposition, and the snap fastener elements 44 and 46 are engaged, thepartitions mutually support each other in position, by reason of theirperpendicular arrangement and their connection through the snapfasteners.

The partition 26 extends between the end walls 20, and the partition 38extends from partition 26 to the bottom wall 22,-thus forming threecompartments, identified in the drawings as A, B and C. The relativesizes of these compartments can be predetermined by the location of thepartitions on the wall I8, and additional compartments may be formed byproviding more partitions of the same character.

In the exemplification shown, the compartment A is adapted, for example,to receive mens shirts, compartment B to contain a shaving kit, andcompartment to contain a pair of shoes. My invention is applicable tothe construction of luggage cases with any desired number ofcompartments, in any convenient size and space relation.

A dust curtain panel 48, hingedly mounted at the edge of the bottom wall22, can be moved into place as a cover for compartments A, B and C, andwhen this is done, the articles in each compartment are effectuallyretained therein, so that the contents of the luggage case are kept ingood order, eliminating disarray or intermingling of the articlescontained therein.

When it is desired to pack some article which requires more space thanthe compartments allow, then it is only necessary to disconnect the snapfastener elements 44 and 46, and fold the wall portions 23 of thepartitions 25 and 38 down flat against the wall E8 of the case sectionIt, as in Figure 3. Because the wall portions are relatively thin, theyoccupy very little space, and constitute no obstruction to the spacewithin the case section M. It is therefore possible to pack a suit orsimilar large article in this space.

At all times, however, the partitions are instantly available, and thecompartments can be reestablished quickly and easily, with a minimum offuss and bother.

As a form of dust curtain particularly convenient and suitable forcoacting with the partitioned spaces to form a closure therefor, I showin Figures and 6 a part of my invention, con sisting of a curtain 50,which may be of cloth, leather or other suitably flexible material. Oneedge is attached to the bottom wall 22 adjacent the hinge l6, and thesize of the curtain is preferably somewhat smaller than the insidedimensions of the case section 14. Around its edge the curtain 50 isfitted with slide fastener elements 52, which coact with similarelements 54 under control of the slides 56. The elements 54 are mountedon the edge strip 58, which may be made of cloth, leather, or the like.The strip 58 is attached to the walls 20 and 24 of the section l4, andextends inwardly somewhat from these walls, so that when the slidefasteners 52 and 54 are interlocked, the curtain 50 and the edge strip58 form a complete closure for the section l4.

One of the particularly advantageous results obtained by use of the edgestrip 58 is that the corner portions of it can be formed with an insidecurve of relatively wide radius, as may be seen at 60. It is well knownthat the conventional slide fastener cannot be satisfactorily used oroperated with sharp bends along the strip in the plane of the fastener.Formation of widely rounded corners in the strip 58, however, permitsoperation of the slide fastener with convenience and ease, wheremounting of the strip 54 directly to the inside of the case might makeoperation unsatisfactory or perhaps impossible.

The dust curtain formed as described requires no hinge hardware ormounting, because of its own inherent flexibility. It is light inweight, and economical to manufacture. When closed, as in Figure 6, itgives a neat, clean-cut appearance, completely concealing articles inthe partitioned compartments, and retaining them in their proper places.It has no marginal spaces or gaps which may admit dust or dirt to theinterior of the case section. In the case of the conventional stiffpanel type of partition or dust curtain, such gaps occur to a greater orless degree around all the edges, and especially adjacent the hardwareand at the corners, as indicated at 62 and 64 in Figure 6.

Some changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the variouselements of the con struction above described, without departing fromthe real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention tocover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanicalequivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination a substantially rectangular receptacle having a bottomwall and four side walls; a partition member extending from one sidewall to the opposite side wall with its ends substantially abutting saidwalls and forming a compartment on each side of said partition, saidpartition being provided with a hinging member securing it to the bottomwall; a second partition member disposed in one of said compartmentsbetween said first mentioned partition member and a side wall parallelthereto at a position intermediate the ends of and at an angle to saidfirst mentioned partition; a hinging member securing the secondpartition member to the bottom wall, said hinging members providingmeans whereby said partitions may be swung to a position lying flatagainst said bottom wall or to a position at right angles thereto, saidhinging members being so positioned that one end of said secondpartition abuts and braces the side of said first partition; andcooperating fastening members on the adjacent portions of said twopartitions whereby said members may be positively secured and maintainedin self-sustaining upright position to form completely separatedcompartments in the receptacle and releasable from each other forfolding against said bottom wall.

2. In combination a substantially rectangular receptacle having a bottomwall and four side walls; a partition member extended from one side wallto the opposite side wall with its ends substantially abutting saidwalls and forming a compartment on each side of said partition, saidpartition being provided with a hinging member securing it to the bottomwall; a second partition member disposed in one of said compartmentsbetween said first mentioned partition member and a side wall parallelthereto at a position intermediate the ends of and at an angle to saidfirst mentioned partition; a hinging member securing the secondpartition member to the bottom wall, said hinging members providingmeans whereby said partitions may be swung to a position lying flatagainst said bottom wall or to a position at right angles thereto, saidhinging members being so positioned that one end of said secondpartition abuts and braces the side of said first partition, said secondpartition provided with a flap and snap fastener means on said flap andon the side wall of said first partition for engagement with each otherto prevent hinging of said partitions when adjusted to upright position,and releasable from each other for folding the partitions against thebottom wall.

JOSEPH H. PLOTKIN.

